Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo
by karilyn
Summary: A new dressmaker in town wreaks havoc on a town social when she stops at nothing to meet the Cartwright brothers.


**Summary**: There is a new seamstress in Virginia City, and she wreaks havoc at a harvest dance in her determination to meet the Cartwright brothers.

**Rated**: G

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bonanza or any of its characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

**Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo**

At the end of a whirlwind harvest fair weekend, the final event, a dance, was in full swing. Having returned from a long round up just days before, all three Cartwright brothers were in attendance. They were ready to let off a little steam. A lot of their ranch hands were, too. Adam, Hoss and Little Joe had all come stag, however, not being sure if they'd even be back in time to attend the dance. No point in disappointing some lovely young lady if she would just end up spending the night at home without a date because they were still away on round up.

A large dance stage had been set up near the end of Main Street, lighted by a dozens of lanterns and a couple of large bonfires against the evening chill. The fiddlers were in fine form and it seemed as though everyone had turned out for the final festivity. Ben Cartwright had beaten his sons to the dance floor and was sweeping an attractive widow in wide circles between the other couples. They were both laughing.

Hoss was tapping his foot to the music, Adam was critically analyzing the available dance partners, and true to character, Little Joe had immediately located the girl he would have asked to the dance if he could have, and he was headed in her direction. His brothers watched him approach her with a charming smile on his face. He must have paid her a compliment, because momentarily she was swishing her full-skirted blue dress and giving him a coy smile. Taking her hand, Joe walked her to the dance floor and soon they were swirling with the other couples.

Hoss nudged Adam. "Little Brother sure is a smooth operator, ain't he?"

Adam, who had been leaning on a fence post, straightened up. "He may be, Hoss, but watch carefully and take notes. I see Lisa Preston." And then he ambled off at a leisurely pace as though he had all the time in the world. Hoss watched as he approached her casually and started a conversation. Adam and Lisa had gone to school together and had always been the top students in their class. Hoss knew his older brother was still smarting from his recent breakup with Laura Dayton, and Lisa Preston, who had grown up to be the school teacher, would be a comforting companion right about now.

Well, now was as good a time as any, Hoss decided. He headed toward a group of young ladies gathered together. Despite his size, Hoss loved to dance, and was usually a popular partner. As he neared the girls, most of whom he knew, he noticed a petite young lady in their center. Hoss didn't recognize her, but he sure liked the way she looked. She had curly hair that was almost white blonde and she had artfully piled it atop her head. She had sky blue eyes with long lashes and pink cheeks. Her hourglass figure was attractively clad in a daringly low cut dress with a skirt that consisted of rows of alternating pink and black ruffles. The sleeves were puffed and ruffled at her elbows. Hoss didn't think she was even five feet tall. If he stood next to her, he would be able to look down at the top of her head.

The girls were all exclaiming over her dress, as well as each other's. Reaching the edge of the group, Hoss touched the shoulder of a good friend, Beth Ann Baker.

"Evenin' Beth Ann," Hoss smiled at her.

"Oh, hello Hoss. It's nice to see you. We're all admiring Mo's new dress. We don't know how she had time to make it when she was making most of ours!"

"Moe?" Hoss' face was a comical picture of confusion. He'd had a pet pig named Moe once, many years ago.

"Mo Harrison. She's the new seamstress in town. Her real name is Maureen, but she goes by Mo. And boy, can she ever sew! She made my dress. Do you like it?" Beth Ann did a pirouette on tiptoe in her lemon yellow polka dot dress with a wide sash and lace neckline.

"Well, of course, Beth Ann. It sure looks purty on you," now Hoss understood why he'd never heard of Mo. He was in and out of town often enough, but the chances of him ever needing the services of a seamstress were darn slim.

"Would you like to dance with me?" Beth Ann gazed up at him demurely. He gladly offered her his arm and moments later they had joined the other dancers.

Mo had noticed the huge man who had come up and started talking to Beth Ann. She had never seen such a large man. He didn't look very graceful and he wasn't particularly handsome; he wasn't her type, she decided. Nevertheless, she asked the other girls about him, and was quickly filled in about him, his brothers, the Ponderosa and the recent round up which had obligingly contributed plenty of dance partners that evening.

She felt a little thrill of excitement. She had only been in Virginia City for three weeks and had counted herself very lucky to have had an immediate rush in business due to the Harvest Ball coming up so quickly. In the first week she had orders for twelve dresses. She had worked day and night getting them ready, including her own, and now she was ready for a little fun. And that meant some dancing and some attractive male companionship. She had met a few men in town, but they were mostly older businessmen with families or the fathers of the girls she was sewing for. Tonight she yearned for a handsome single man. _All work and no play_…

The group around her was beginning to break up as the girls found dance partners. It hadn't hurt any that many of the Ponderosa ranch hands had arrived about the same time as the Cartwrights had. Mo really didn't think much more about Hoss Cartwright. She didn't know anything about him except what she had seen, but he was almost two of her, and that just seemed like a recipe for trouble. Determined, she saw what she wanted, and made her move.

Adam was relieved that Lisa Preston was willing to sit and talk for a while. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy dancing, but he still felt weary from the long round up, and besides, he always enjoyed a good conversation. Right now he and Lisa were sitting at one of the tables set out beyond the dance area, enjoying cool glasses of punch. She was telling him her plan for a school project involving Aesop's fables. They had always enjoyed each other's company, and Lisa was a good conversationalist who shared many of his interests. They had never been romantically involved, but Adam felt very comfortable with her. He especially liked her relaxed personality along with her dark auburn hair and expressive gray eyes. She was in the process of explaining her idea for weaving an art project in with the classic fables when suddenly they were interrupted by the arrival at their table of an attractive young woman in a distinctly arresting pink and black ruffled dress.

She was smiling and holding out her hand to Adam, so her presence required attention. Lisa stopped talking in mid-sentence and Adam turned to see what the interruption was. That was all the entrée Mo needed.

"Hi, I'm Maureen Harrison, the new dressmaker in town. I just wanted to meet you. My friends call me Mo," she flashed what she knew was an engaging smile.

Adam had no choice but to stand and shake the proffered hand. "Nice to meet you, Miss Harrison. I'm Adam Cartwright and this is Miss Lisa Preston."

Mo shook Lisa's hand and pulled out one of the two empty chairs at the table. "May I join you?" But she was already seated and assessing Lisa's dress before her question could be answered. Lisa was wearing a long sleeved, dark lavender light wool dress with white cuffs and collar that complemented her coloring quite well.

With her eyebrows slightly raised, Lisa was also assessing Mo. Although she admired the petite girl's dress, the neckline was cut so low she had to wonder if Mo would pop out of it altogether if she took a deep breath. Glancing over at Adam, Lisa realized he was irritated. She knew that by the slight narrowing of his eyes. In all other ways he had been the perfect example of politeness to Miss Harrison. She knew he had a temper, but it generally took quite a bit of provocation to expose it. He hadn't responded to Mo's self-invitation, however.

"Of course, please sit down and join us," Lisa said graciously and noticed her friend sit back instantly in his chair, expelling a sigh.

Mo plunged immediately into a dissertation about her new shop, Virginia City, and Philadelphia, the city she had moved from. After about ten minutes or so she stopped suddenly and laughed at herself.

"Listen to me go on and on and you two were having a conversation. Mr. Cartwright, you wouldn't mind getting me a glass of punch, would you? I'm so dry all of a sudden!"

Adam cleared his throat and smiled what Lisa knew was his careful smile-that-was-not-a-smile. "Of course, Miss Harrison. I'll be right back," and he left to do her bidding.

"Miss Preston, are you and Adam attached in any way? I hope I haven't intruded where I shouldn't have. It's just that I know so few people here."

Lisa assured her that she and Adam were just childhood friends. Mo then began to quiz her about her teaching job and somehow managed to take control of the conversation once again, discussing her own ladies' school education in Philadelphia. Lisa listened to her with a polite smile and was grateful when Adam returned with a cup of punch for Mo, who actually paused to take a sip.

Just then the musicians began to play a waltz. Adam had been waiting for a waltz to ask Lisa to dance with him. It was just his speed tonight, and it would be relaxing. But he knew now that they couldn't very well walk away and leave Mo alone, even if he felt that was what she deserved. Mo seemed to jump up in her seat (and stay in her dress, Lisa noted).

"I just love waltzes! Adam, come dance with me, please?" She had jumped up and caught his hand in hers, tugging at it.

Awkwardly, Adam glanced at Lisa, who gave him the barest of shrugs. He could hardly turn Mo down, although it was quite tempting. "Uh, OK, but I promised the next dance to Lisa, Mo."

Delighted, Mo almost hauled him to the dance floor, she barely reaching his shoulder. As they began to dance, she flirted with him in what she knew were fool-proof ways. She just didn't understand the kind of man she had picked on. When he failed to respond to much of her efforts, she simply rested her head on his shoulder, only since she didn't exactly reach his shoulder, she put her head against his chest, pressing her bust against him.

"Oh, Adam! I can hear your heart beating," she exclaimed breathlessly. In response he looked up at the sky and wondered if he could count all the stars in it by the time the dance ended. Unfortunately, when it did end, Mo monopolized him for the next dance, and the one after that.

When at last he put his foot down, no longer caring if he appeared less than polite, he escorted her off the dance floor and over to a group of young ladies. Returning immediately to the table he and Lisa had shared, he found it empty. No big surprise there, he thought. Searching the area around the dance and its environs, she was nowhere to be found. Disgusted with himself and with Mo, Adam turned on his heel and headed over to the saloon where he ordered two whiskey shots.

***

Little Joe had experienced immediate victory in getting Penny Benson's attention and she succumbed quickly to his boyish charm. Fortunately for him, it was always at the ready, and he'd had his eye on Penny for several weeks now. She was an especially pretty young woman with long dark hair, large brown eyes and full lips. He fully intended to dance every dance with her, and she seemed not to mind that idea. As they skipped from dance to dance, they passed Hoss and Ben frequently on the dance floor. Earlier, Joe had seen Adam sitting with his childhood friend, Lisa, and he smiled. Lisa and Adam had frequently studied together and often shared lunchtimes together at school as kids. But then Penny claimed all of his attention as she laughed at his jokes and admired his dancing ability. He told her how much he had been looking forward to dancing with her and getting to know her better. She told him how thoroughly his reputation as a Lothario preceded him and he pretended to be deeply wounded. One dance blended into another until the musicians took a break and the music ended.

After a glass of punch, Joe and Penny were enjoying a moonlight stroll around the dance area. She was clinging to his arm and flirting with him shamelessly, and he was returning the favor.

"Penny, you are just about the most beautiful girl I've ever had the pleasure of dancing with," Joe said, turning on his mega-watt smile.

"Why Little Joe, you are just the sweetest thing. But you don't really expect me to believe that, do you?"

"What?" He stopped and placed a hand over his heart as if faint.

"I know perfectly well you tell that to all the girls," Penny gave him a pretend punch in the arm.

Joe looked hurt. "That is absolutely not true. I definitely do not tell that to all the girls. I never say it to the ones who step on my feet."

Penny threw her head back and laughed. "Little Joe Cartwright, you take the cake," she was still chuckling as she shook her head at him.

They wandered some more, hand in hand now, making small talk, commenting on nothing in particular. Eventually Joe's arm came around her shoulders, pulling her close. They had come to the livery stable, not far from the dance. Penny found herself backed up against the wall of the livery, with Little Joe's arm leaning next to her head. There were a few people nearby, but not many.

"You know, you really are beautiful, Penny," Joe's voice had dropped and he was slowly coming in for a kiss that Penny was looking forward to. His mouth was only inches from hers when a female voice interrupted them suddenly.

"You definitely must be Little Joe Cartwright! I just had to meet you."

More than startled, Penny jumped to attention, and Joe's head swiveled.

"Huh?"

"I apologize if I'm interrupting anything, but I'm new in town and I heard about the Cartwrights. Since you're in town for the dance I wanted to say hello. I met your brother, Adam, earlier. I'm Mo Harrison, the new dressmaker," she stuck out her hand.

Penny's face was hot and she didn't know if it was because she was so angry or because she wished the ground would open and swallow her up. Joe kept staring at the pink and black ruffled frippet, his brow knit in a frown Adam would have been proud of. His hand moved back and forth between himself and Penny in a pathetic attempt to articulate that a beautiful moment had just been heartlessly destroyed. He finally stopped and scratched his head, raised his eyebrows, made a grimace, and took the perky extended hand.

"What'd you say your name was again?" This conversation was going to be painful.

"Mo Harrison. Really, it's Maureen, but I go by Mo."

"Hoss had a pet pig named Moe once," it came out before Joe could even process it. _Ouch_. Mo's cheery face went flat.

"What kind of name is Hoss?" She didn't sound quite so perky now.

"It's… it's Swedish… it means big, friendly man," Little Joe felt like he was being sucked down a drain.

"And is he?"

"Well, yeah, he likes everyone. Have you met him yet?"

"No." _Holy cow_. This was going nowhere fast.

"He's right over there, dancing with the girl in the green dress," Penny was pointing eagerly. "He loves to dance, too. If you like to dance, you should definitely go meet him."

Suddenly Mo smiled sweetly. "Why, I do love to dance. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go over and introduce myself to Hoss. Nice to meet you, Little Joe," and then she leaned over and kissed his cheek before turning and swishing away.

Joe stood frozen, only moving his wide eyes back and forth between the receding Mo and the very present Penny. His heart fell. It could have been such a perfect moment with Penny. He was pretty sure that even he couldn't turn his charm back on after that brutal bubble burst, and that didn't even take into account whether Penny would ever look at him again. Steeling himself, he turned back to look at her to find her staring after Mo, her mouth agape.

"Can you believe that? Mo the Pig! Did you see her? If she makes one misstep she's going to bust right out of that dress!"

"No pun intended," Joe said under his breath, trying to keep a straight face.

Penny fixed him with a stare and placed her hands on her hips. "If you don't mind, Joseph Cartwright, it's past time for me to be home."

"Yes, ma'am," he held out his arm to her, resigned to his fate for the evening.

Thirty minutes later, a dejected Joe pushed his way through the saloon doors, hoping to ease his sorrows. He ordered a beer from Sam the bartender, and then noticed a rather morose looking Adam sitting at a back table, alone.

"Hey, Big Brother, this is no place to be spending the Harvest Ball," he said, easing into a chair next to Adam. He took a big gulp of his beer.

"No it isn't, is it, Prince Charming?" Adam spoke acidly. He had undone his black string tie, which now hung loosely around his neck. He had also loosened his collar.

"Hey, what's eating you?" Joe didn't feel like being snapped at just then.

"Mo happened to me, that's what," Adam's reply was icy.

"You mean Mo the Pig?" Joe sat up straight suddenly, sloshing his beer, his voice sliding up an octave.

"_Mo the Pig??"_

Joe told Adam the story of his evening, ending with, "and then she kissed me right in front of Penny!"

Adam smiled a smile of one-upmanship. "She listened to _my_ heart beat." And then he told Joe his story.

Joe groaned and covered his eyes with his hand. "That's bad, Adam. Poor Lisa. Penny said if she tripped she'd bust right out of her dress, and I said…"

"No pun intended," Adam finished for him.

They looked at each other and spontaneously broke out into loud, hearty laughter. They couldn't stop themselves. It was inexplicably, inappropriately hilarious but the beer and the whiskey helped them along. Adam threw his head back and Joe nearly doubled over laughing.

When he caught his breath, Adam asked, "Didn't Hoss once have a pig named Moe?"

"Yeah! Mo the Pig!"

They started laughing again, Joe finished his beer, and together they left the saloon to retrieve their horses. The evening was over for them. It was getting late and the dance would be over soon anyway. There was always next year's Harvest Ball. And if they were lucky, Lisa and Penny would be talking to them again by then.

As they rode out of the livery stable, they glanced over at the dance stage, where the music was still going strong. Only a few hardy couples were still dancing through the night, and one stood out strongly among the others.

The man, well over six feet tall, wore a brown corduroy jacket and a string tie. His partner, who didn't even begin to reach his shoulders, wore a striking pink and black ruffled dress. He was a good dancer, and her feet weren't even touching the floor as they flew around the dance floor. He was holding her close and her arms were locked around his neck. They were beaming at each other.

Adam and Joe watched for a minute or two, their mouths hanging open. Then they looked at each other.

"Uh oh," Adam warned. "We may be seeing mo' of Mo."

Joe grimaced and responded, "Oh no, then that wouldn't be no mo' Mo, would it?"

Then, escorting only each other, they loped home.

**THE END**


End file.
